Combination under-garm ent



(No Model.)

W. I. KNEIR COMBINATION UNDER GARMENT.

No. 374,307. Patented 'Dec. -6, 1887.

N. PETERS, Phalo Litbo npMr. Wuhingmn. D. c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM F. KNEIP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

-COMB|NAT|ON UNDER-GARMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,307, dated December 6, 1887.

Applicatirn filed February 14 1887. Serial No. 227,563. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. KNEIP, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Under-Garments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letter of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved knit under-garment of that kind known asa combination garment, or onein which a shirt and drawers are combined in one article, the in vention being more particularly applicable to such garments as made for ladies.

In a combination garment made in accordance with my invention the garment is formed mainly by a piece or pieces of knitted fabric extending continuously from the top to the bottom of the garment through the body part and the legs. The parts forming the legs of the garment are separated from each other to a point above the waist-line, and to r the rear edges of both sides or halves thus separated are attached additional pieces or strips of fabric of suitable width to give the necessary fullness to the garment at the hips, said pieces or strips being sewed at their edges to the main parts of the garment at the parts of the latter extending from the point of separation mentioned downwardly to the tops of the seams at the inner sides of the legs. The upper ends of the additional strips referred to are made tapering or pointed,and are attached at both of their tapered edges to the margins of both adjacent edges of the main parts of the garment, the two pieces of strips being overlapped at their upper ends in a manner hereinafter more fully explained.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 shows a combination garment constructed in accordance with myinvention asviewed from thefront. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view of one of the pieces or strips employed to give the necessary fullness at the hips.

In the drawings, A is the upper or body part of the garment,and B B the lower or leg portions thereof. The knitted fabric composing the body part is, in the particular construction shown, composed of two sides or halves, A A, made continuous with the leg portions, and'united at the middle of the back with a seam, a, the garment being arranged to open in front, and having-buttons and buttonholes or other fastening devices for connecting its front edges. The scam a, uniting the body parts A A, terminates at a point, a, somewhat above the waist-line, and to the rear margins of said side pieces are attached two separate knitted strips or sections, 0 O, which are for the purpose ofgiving the necessary size or fullness to the garment at the hips.

The parts AAand BBare originally made in flat webs, with practically parallel side margins, except in their lower parts, which are tapered to form the legs of the garment, the tapered margins of the said parts B B being joined to form scams 6 b at the inner side of the legs, extending from b to b. Each of the pieces 0 G is made of considerably greater length than width, with its longer side margin of the same length as the rear straight marginal part from a to b of the rear edge of the side piece, A B. Said piece C is sewed to the rear margin of the side piece, A B, in its part from a to b, so as to form a seam, 0, extending from the top of the leg-seam b to the point a, at which the side pieces of the body are united nr the back of the garment. The said piece 0 is also sewed at its lower edge or end to the front marginal part, b to W, of the leg portion B, thereby forming a seam, b. The lower end of the piece 0 is preferably inclined or oblique, as shown, in order to give a desired shape to thegarment. At its upper end or margin the strip 0 is attached to the opposite side piece, A, along its marginal part a to a", the said upper end of the strip being beveled or pointed, as shown, to afford a gradual enlargement of the body part of the garment in approaching the hips. Both of the strips 0 Care attached at their upper ends seams b b? rearwardly to the points a" a at the lower ends of the scams 0 0, connecting the pieceswith the opposite sides or halves of the garment, so that the said free margins are drawn or held in a position to keep the garment closed at this point. It is obviously not essential that the top and bottom ends of the inserted pieces 0 0 should be shaped exactly as shown; and in practice the form of the said pieces will be modified to give a desired form to the garment, or to correspond with modifications in the shape of the other parts comprising the same.

The garment made in two main parts, as

herein shown, is of that kind which is made of flexible knit fabric, such as produced upon single-thread machines-as, for instance, that known as the Lamb machine. The same novel features of construction herein shown may, however, be equally well applied to garments made of woven knit fabric, or that produced by a machine employing a number of simultaneously-acting needles and a plurality of threads. In garments made of either of the kinds of knitted fabric mentioned the main side pieces composing the garment may each consist of two or more pieces,instead of a single piece, as herein shown. .It is not essential, furthermore, that a garment embodying my invention should have a seam in the back,

inasmuch as that part of the back of the gar ment above the inserted pieces 0 C may be made or knitted in one piece.

A main advantage gained by the construc tion above described is that thefnllness at the hips, in a combination garment necessary to a comfortable fit, may be thereby obtained in an article consisting of but few parts of simple shape, which can be readily put together.-

My invention has especial advantages as applied to knit goods made upon a Lamb machine, for the reason that the two parts or sides usually been made of four main parts united at the sides of the garment and in the back. By making the garment with supplementary pieces 0 O, as above described, the main s1de parts, being of substantially the same width, may be economically made upon machines of this kind, while at the same time a better-fitting article is produced. Important advantages are, however, also gained by. the employment of the construction described 1n woven knit goods and other material used for making garments of the character described, owing to the more perfect fit thereby obtained and the greater simplicity of manufac ture, and in carrying out my invention, therefore, any kind of material suitable for the manufacture of the article may be used.

I claim as my invention- A combination garment comprising body and leg portions made continuous with each other, and separated at the back of the garment to a point above the waist-line, and strips 0 O, inserted in the back of the garment and secured at one of their longer sides to the edges of the main part of the garment, said strips being attached at their upper ends to both rear edges of the separated main parts of the garment and at their lower ends to the front edges of said parts, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. WILLIAM F. KNEIP.

Vitnesses:

O. CLARENGE PooLE, CHARLES T. LORING. 

